The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-02-04

confess that regret for the past had
power to darken the futussf
She dashed the tears from her eyes,
crumpled up the letter in her hand,
and was about to jump down the
steep bank, when a quick. shrill voice
broke the silence.
"0h, dear me! Oh. dear, dear me!
To think that you should wake me
up like that, ysu naughty little kitten;
and such a beautiful sleep tool And
there's all my pretty work on the
ground, after all the trouble I've had
to match those woods. Gay! Gay!
Bless the child, where is she? Cay" in
louder, shriller treble, where have
you been to, child, to let this creature
wake me up?"
Gay stopped down and picked up
the woods, carefully sorting one from
the other, and placed them on the
garden seat.
Then she took UP the kitten, who
was attentively following her every
movement with its paw. and, perch
ing it on her shoulder, stood looking
down on the perturbed old lady.
cts q great shame, and I'm very
sorry, aunt. / ought to have taken
him with me, but forgot"
There, child, it's always the same
excuse. There never was such a
incoming girl, / declare. Never mind;
60 and get some silver paper and wrap
up all these woods separately, and
fetch my smelling-salts and the knit
ting-needles, the bone ones, in the right
hand drawer, on the left side; and tell
Mary to look and see if there are any
strawberries ready. No, we mind;
I'll 60 myself. Come along, and give
me your arm"
Gay, with q sudden remembrance
of q hardly won triumph, made a mem
tai resolve that from h~enceforth her
young arm should always be devoted
to Aunt Judy's service.
CHAPTER III.
A few days later the ladies of Leafy
Hall were sitting in the morning room
when the maid brought in a card and
said a gentleman had called to see
her mistress. NowAunt Judy had be
very busy all the morning working
for a bazaar, and she was at present
engaged, with Gays help, upon q
beaded pincushion.
"Bless mel" cried the old lady. roll
ing over a box of delicate pearl beads
in her confusion. Heres my nephew,
young Marston, come to see me, with
out so much as a days notice. Very
inconsiderate of him; and / dare a
he's been in England a month or
more. Ishall scold him for it. And to
come when I'm SO busy, too, and not
fit to be seen although tits afternoon.
Here Mary, come and dress me; and
you, Gay, pick up ali these beads,
there's a dear, and finish the pin.
cushion, and then all these things can
be put away. | must go and see HIM.
i suppose, but he must wait while /
get myself tidy. Be quick, Mary, go
and get my sprigged gown, and find
me a pretty cap-Tm coming directly.
Gay, my dear, I'll snow you how to
do that pincushion when / come
down." and so saying, Aunt Judy
hustled of.
Gay was on her hands and knees in
a moment, anxious to hide the quick
flame that ieaped into her cheeks.
She gathered up all the beads in a
fever of excitement, and then sat down
on Il sofa, waiting b~reathlessly. After
a long, time she heard Aunt Judy toll
ing downstairs. The drawing-room
door opened; she sprang forward in
time to see Aunt Judy's lilac skirts
sweep across the threshold-in time
to hear: How do you do, Aunt
Judy?" in strong. sweet voice, that
thrilled through every fiber of her be-
ing. Yes, 1T was Theodore--her Theo-
dore. After all they would me
again. Was it by chance, she wonder
ed, or had he came knowingly, to
prove to her how completely and IN
exorably he had changed? For if he
had not changed, would he have not
come before?
The sound of the drawing-bell ring
ing violently about ten minutes after
made her start and become hot all
over. In a few minutes she heard
steps advancing. She seized the PIN
cushion and turned it over and over
in her fingers. But it was only the
maid with a message from Aunt Judy:
Would Miss Gay please go to the
drawing-room?"
The time had come.
As soon as the maid had disappeared
Gabrielle fed to her room and looked
at herself critically in the mirror.
She had on a white gown. 1t was clean
and soft-looklng, so she would not
change it, but, quickly arranging her
bright curly hair, and fastening aclus-
ter OF red roses, in her dress, she gave
one parting look at her pretty. erect
figure. and ran down stairs.
With a heart beating to s~uffocation
she onenel the door. closad II hahind